


A Fresh Start

by Daiako (Achrya)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mashima Hiro's Fairy Tail Setting, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Eve, Wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 06:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achrya/pseuds/Daiako
Summary: It’s been 8 months since Noctis left home. Maybe it’s time to take a step forward and mend some bridges.Part of a larger Fairy Tail inspired AU.





	A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> I gave my Tumblr followers some options on what new year's story they would get and they chose part of my super secret Fairy Tail AU. This is both the first part of that AU, and set about 8 months into it all at the same time. 
> 
> Trust me, that makes sense in context.

_ Dear Dad _

Noctis made a face at the words as he mouthed them then, shaking his head, balled up the parchment and tossed it into the garbage can. 

_ Dear Father _

Ugh, no, not that either. Too formal and weird, his dad would never believe it was him! It had been months since he'd spoken to his father and if he was going to be doing it he wanted to do it right. He had a lot to say, eight months worth, and even though he knew where to start he didn't know how to start. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, bringing a picture of his father to mind. They hadn't parted well, what with arguing and Noctis running away, and for a long time he'd only been able to envision that last image of the man, stern and disapproving, harsh as he once again dismissed the idea of Noctis leaving home. But now he could see the details he'd missed in his anger. The lines around his eyes, the slump to his shoulders, the ginger way he held himself to keep weight off his bad knee, how tired he'd sounded under the onslaught of Noctis’ anger. 

_ Hi Dad,  _

_ It's been a while, longer than I meant it to be when I left. A lot has happened, some of it you know already, from Clarus, but I’d like to tell you about it, all of it. Today is the first of the year and it feels like a good time (to try to make) to start over. They do things differently here in Accordo, a lot of things, but especially New Year’s Eve. It was always such a quiet thing back home but here, where the guild is based, is anything but quiet. It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you would have enjoyed but I’m starting to get that you were different when you were here.  _

_ It was Prompto’s, the wizard who used to be in the Empty Guild and my roommate (it’s a long story), first New Year’s Eve like this too, so Gladio and Ignis offered to show us everything- _

_ \---- _

“But I don’t want to go out!” Noctis whined as Prompto dragged him down the busy cobblestone road, just narrowly managing to avoid all the chattering, costumed people and carts plodding along. “New Years is for reflecting on the year and lost loved ones, not whatever all of this is. ...and for sleeping. It’s for sleeping.” 

He’d been asleep, until Ignis had somehow gotten in to his bedroom and cruelly yanked off the blankets before physically rolling him out of bed. A shower and change of clothes later and here they were, with Prompto, heading towards the town square for ‘something he’d regret missing’. Even that hadn’t quite been enough to get him going, because honestly Noctis hated crowds so much it was sometimes paralyzing (though he’d gotten better lately), but Ignis promising to spring for food had helped.

(And, really, all Ignis had to do was ask and Noctis probably would have done *anything* for him but the older man didn’t know that and Noctis wasn’t about to tell him.) 

“Is that what you do in Insomnia?” Ignis asked, turning slightly to look back at them. “If you don’t mind me saying so, that sounds boring.” 

Noctis opened his mouth to argue then closed it, frowning. Honestly Ignis was absolutely right, New Year’s Eve in Insomnia had been pretty somber. Everyone came out in all black, dressed in their best, to visit the graveyards to pay respect to those who’d passed during the year and then any loved ones long lost. After that there was a speech given by Lord Lucis-Caelum, dinner, and visits with family, discussions about what had happened in the year past and what they hoped to do next year, but that too was a very quiet and serious affair, especially for Noctis. As Lord Lucis-Caelum’s son he’d been expected to do certain things, and most of them he hadn’t minded (visiting the children’s ward of the hospital with gifts and volunteering at a soup kitchen before meeting his father to go to his mother’s grave), but it hadn’t exactly been fun. 

He had probably called it boring more than once growing up, especially once he’d come into his magic and started imagining a world beyond Insomnia and his father’s reach. He wasn’t totally sure he’d call it that now, he had more appreciation for the traditions and habits of his homeland now (Fine, was sometimes homesick. He didn’t regret leaving but sometimes he missed things.) but no matter what one thought of it the fact remained it was nothing like this. 

Here people were out in droves, wandering the decorated streets, dressed in brightly colored costumes adorned with feathers, jewels, paint, and huge head dresses to match. WIndows were painted brightly with what looked like all kinds of scenes, romantic, battle, landscape, and everything in between. Stalls had sprung up everywhere in the few short hours since he’d left the guild to head home (and sleep), in front of shops and houses, lining allies, and he was pretty sure he saw a few on barges, set up along the canals. They were selling clothing, decorations, food, and lights. So many lights; magical fairy lights, magical fire orbs, lanterns, candles in all sorts of colors, and small fireworks to be set off later. The canals were decorated too, small floating boats topped with lanterns and candles, painted with colorful images or plain black text, floated along next to gondolas crammed full with flowers and greenery. 

In the distance, up on the guild hill, Noctis saw that rides had sprung up; a ferris wheel, large carousel, and a huge swing ride were what he could make out, but he was sure there was more. Master Sylva, and Luna, had been rushing around all week attending to ‘projects’ and he was willing to bet it had to do with tonight. Sylva took her duty to her adopted city seriously and if Noctis had learned only one thing about the woman it was that she didn’t slack when it came to holidays and putting on a show for the city.

The noise level around them was at what Noctis would call a dull roar. 

And apparently the festivities were just getting started; Ignis had said they had to hurry and get to the square before the sun went down for the main event or else they’d get caught up when things really got going. Noctis was having a hard time imaging that things could get any more ‘going’ than this but he’d been wrong before. 

“I can’t wait.” Prompto said, practically bouncing as he ran along, grip on Noctis never weakening. “I’ve never really celebrated this before and Gladio said-” Noctis snorted because about a third of what Prompto said started with ‘Gladio said’. “Shut up. Gladio said the main show is really something to see. All the S levels take part and-”

“Here.” Ignis interrupted, reaching out to stop them. “RIght up by the barrier.”

Ignis pointed and indeed Noctis could see a wooden barrier erected to keep the crowd back from a wide lane in the middle of the road. People were crowded around it, hanging over and pushing against it and there wasn’t much space but with Ignis leading the way they were soon up there as well, part of the crush of the crowd. 

Ignis leaned close once they were in place and spoke directly into his ear. “I have to go. You both stay here until I come back.” 

He pushed a money pouch into Noctis’ hands; Noctis shivered when their fingers brushed and if he maybe took longer than needed to pull his hand back, letting the touch linger, Ignis didn’t complain. When Noctis did finally pull away Ignis flashed him a  smile and stepped back into the crowd, vanishing between a man dressed in a yellow feathered robe and a woman in nothing but jeweled tones body paint, and out of sight in seconds. Noctis looked left then right, then up at the sky, where the last of the orange-pink of the sun was vanishing from the sky, and finally over at Prompto. The blond was leaning against the partition, shifting from foot to foot excitedly. 

Noctis smiled slightly, unable to help himself. He supposed that if it made Prompto happy it was worth coming out. After all it wasn’t like Prom asked for much, or for anything at all actually; getting to do things for him was pretty rare and not a chance to be passed up on.  

The day slipped into night and all of the lights began to come to life in waves, turning the nearby canal into a river of light, making the stalls and buildings glow warmly, and turning the many townspeople into a sea of flickering stars around them. Music started booming from somewhere, upbeat and cheerful with lots of crashing symbols and thumping drum beats that got Prompto bobbing along  and, as stars began to come to life in the dark blue sky above them, the blond was swept up into a small clutch of people jumping and swaying along. Noctis stayed out of it, content to just lean against the barrier and watch, smile returning in full force. Prompto became sweaty quickly, hair sticking to his forehead and bare skin glistening under all the lights, and was pink cheeked and laughing as he was swung from one person to the next, feet stomping along to the beat. Not Noctis’ kind of thing, he basically froze up and tried to sink into the floor if he felt like a lot of people were watching him, but Prompto looked at ease. And happy, he looked happy. 

Noctis wasn’t sure if it was funny or not that Prompto had been overlooked and forced into the shadows his whole life and now was able to light up any room he was in, and Noctis had been in the public eye because of his father and now did his best to just fade into the background. Not always possible with a guild like King’s Guard, and friends like the ones he had, unfortunately.

All the property destruction really got people talking and looking.   

Noctis managed to flag down a roaming crepe seller, forcing savory and sweet ones into Prompto’s hands when the blond went sailing past, and then sweet fizzing wine as well. He was licking cream from his fingers and feeling pleasantly warm and bubbly when, suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd. Even the group Prompto had made friends with stopped all at once, faces turning to the left. Noctis looked as well, wondering what they were waiting for.

The music got louder, picked up in tempo and force, and people started clapping and stomping along. Prompto sidled back into place beside him, breathing hard but bright eyed with excitement. 

“I wonder-Oh!” Prompto breathed as a structure rounded a corner into the lane. It was huge, pulled by four horses, and was lit up brightly with blue and silver lights. As it got closer Noctis could see it was covered in tiny blue flowers and, standing in the center and waving was Master Sylva, flanked by Luna and Stella. They were all dressed in white gowns with elaborate flower crowns on their heads. 

Stella was using her rapier to draw runes into the air and pushing them out into the crowd where they burst into bright flashes of color and rained down while Luna blew the flowers off of the float and into the grasping hands of those around them with warm gusts of wind. Sylva waved, beaming at the crowd, and cheering started. It was mixed wordless cries, the guild’s name, and people calling for Slyva herself. 

The float passed them, and Noctis got winks for Luna and Stella as it went, and next came one covered in feathers and light up golden. Clarus stood at the front, arms crossed over his face and shield standing before him. Behind him, in the cleared out center of the float, where Gladio and Iris, throwing themselves at each other in battle. Noctis could tell it was coordinated, neither one going all out or landing anything more than glancing blows but the clang of weapons clashing, Iris’ warhammer growing when she was at range and shrinking when they came in close to each other, and Gladio’s greatsword echoed like it was the real thing. They came together, sparks flying, leapt back, circled, Iris swung her enlarged hammer with unnatural speed and Gladio dodged, raced in, swung with his sword onto to be blocked by the hammer’s shaft and kicked back.

Gladio’s armor was changing rapidly the entire time, flowing and sparking, from have to absorb blows to light when he needed to jump and run, and back again. 

Noctis chanced a look to the side, not surprised to find Prompto starry eyed and open mouthed. 

Though, as much as he teased, there was no denying Gladio was an impressive sight to behold, muscles bulging and hair whipping around him, teeth bared in a feral grin. 

The next float was Nyx and his crew; Pelna with his hands up, controlling low hanging clouds and sculpting them into shapes as snow fell onto the float, Crowe with her dark wings fully extended, hands shimmering with shadows, and hood up so only the red glow of her eyes showed, Libertus blowing fire, and Nyx with his shadow wolves at the head, long scarf blowing behind him.

Other floats followed, the guild members showing off their magic to the cheers of the crowd, then rolled away over the bridge and around a corner to the sound of even more raucous cries from the crowd waiting for them.   

The last float  to pass them was smaller, carrying only Dino and Ignis. Dino was shaping crystals rapidly, having them flow from one construct to the next, and Ignis- Noctis’ breath caught in his throat- Ignis was wearing a suit, perfectly fitting to broad shoulders and a trim waist, complete with waistcoat, jacket, and tie, his darkly tinted glasses, and his hair was hanging down over his face. His hands were up, drawing complicated magic circles; some he pushed towards Dino’s construct, creating a rainbow strobe effect and other went up into the sky where they exploded into plumes of starlight and arced down as golden sparkles. 

Noctis reached up as one burst over him; they were cool to the touch, flowed over his skin like drops of water, then faded away into nothing. 

Ignis and Dino rolled on and, as they turned the corner and left their sight, the crowd began to disperse. Prompto turned to him, a face cracking smile in place, and all but jumped into his arms. 

“That was awesome!” 

Noctis laughed even as he stumbled under the other’s weight. “Yeah, it was.” 

Prompto’s arms wound around his neck and the blond hauled him closer into a crushing hug. “Do you think they’ll let us join in next year? I could do fireworks, like Ignis, but fire and water and light and shadow and-and you could use the Astrals! 

“Uh, no.” Noctis laughed again, one of his hands dropping to holder for his cards. “I think the idea is to entertain people, not terrify them with giant asshole summons.” 

Prompto blinked at him owlishly, lips pursed in thought, before nodding sagely. “Good point. Maybe the other spirits? The not asshole ones?” 

Noct patted his friend’s shoulder consolingly and shook his head. “They’re all asshole Prom. Every last one.” 

\---

The rest of the night was spent wandering the festival after meeting up with Ignis and Gladio. Gladio was shirtless, sweaty, and beaming, shaking from excess adrenaline as he came up on them and draped his arms around their necks and started steering them towards the food stalls. Ignis had followed at a more sedate pace, smirking as Prompto heaped praise on him for his show only to then claim up and go tomato red when Gladio asked what he thought of his mock battle. Noctis did his best to fill in for him, and save what he could of Prompto’s pride. 

There was food, roasted meat, fried dough, cotton candy, Taiyaki, fried noodles, fried meat, and Takoyaki consumed in alarming amounts by Gladio and Ignis then a ride around the town in a Gondala to look at the lanterns. 

“It’s wishes.” Gladio explained as he a marker and paper lantern frame in Prompto’s hands. “You write or draw your wish for the year on one side then set it out onto the canal. They flow out into the sea and supposedly they come true.” 

“But really we send Luna out to round them all up so they don’t pollute the sea.” Ignis added, smiling wryly. “Still, it’s nice to think about. Helps get priorities in order.” 

Two of the sides were already marked, one with Ignis’s even flowing script spelling out ‘Push Forward’ from top corner to bottom corner, and the other with Gladio’s blocky handwriting proclaiming ‘Get Stronger’ in thick dark letters. Prompto hesitated them, cheeks burning red, sketched out quick portraits of the four of them, a side profile in each corner, and passed it to Noctis. 

He turned the frame over in his hands, fingers skimming the sturdy wood and thin paper as he nibbled his lip thoughtfully. A wish for the year? Last year he would have said to be free, to belong to a guild, and a chance to develop his magic but he had all of that and more. Friends, a series of dangerous and at times insane missions. He was having more fun than he’d ever had in his life. He was happy.

What else could he want and even if he did want something wasn’t it better to work for it, not wish on some lantern?

Ignis leaned closer, shoulder bumping his. “You can’t think of anything?” 

Noctis shrugged, feeling a bit silly. “I don’t think I get it.”

Ignis hummed thoughtfully, eyes dropping down to the lantern. “It’s a new year Noctis, a chance to start over. To start fresh, with the last year behind you as something to learn from.” 

“Hurry up Princess.” Gladio called, twisting around and nodding towards the clock tower. “It’s almost midnight. Which reminds me-” He leaned towards Prompto, eyebrows lifting. “You’re going to be my New Year’s kiss, right?” 

“WHAT!” 

The boat rocked dangerously as Prompto flailed and shrieked, heedly of Ignis’ attempts to calm him and not at all aided by Gladio mockingly trying to grab him and pull him into his lap. Noctis rolled his eyes then, shrugging to himself, hastily scrawled something onto the lantern. He leaned carefully over the side, heart leaping as it tilted dangerously and Prompto tried to leap over to the side he and Ignis were sitting on, and let it, and his wish for a Fresh Start, drift away on the water. 


End file.
